Where does “ghi nhớ” come from?

ghi nhớ (Vietnamese) comes from Vietnamese ghì, from French gris, from Old Occitan gris, from Frankish grīs, from Proto-Germanic grīsaz — grey; terrible; frightening.

ghi nhớ (Vietnamese): to memorize

Definitions

  1. to memorize

Ancestry of “ghi nhớ”, step by step

ghi nhớ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Vietnamese ghì

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnameseghìto hold tightly, to tightly embrace
2Frenchgrisgrey, gray; drunk, tipsy; gray
3Old Occitangris—
4Frankishgrīsgrey
5Proto-Germanicgrīsazgrey; terrible; frightening

via Vietnamese nhỏ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Vietnamesenhỏsmall; little; child; girl
2Proto-Vietick-ɲǝːʔto remember
Every word from Proto-Germanic grīsaz →Every word from Frankish grīs →Every word from Old Occitan gris →